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Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are critical to Michigan’s economy and outdoor heritage. As a unique national treasure and the largest system of fresh surface water in the world, the Great Lakes provide drinking water for nearly 40 million people and are an economic driver that supports jobs, commerce, agriculture, transportation, and tourism.

It is imperative that we protect this vital asset against invasive species. Asian carp have been found less than ten miles from Lake Michigan. If Asian carp establish populations in the Great Lakes, they will devastate the region’s fishing and boating industries. The Army Corps of Engineers must act quickly to take the necessary steps to protect our Great Lakes.

I strongly support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). Since the initiative was launched in 2010, GLRI funds have been used to support over 3,000 restoration projects to improve water quality, protect and restore native habitat, clean up environmentally-impaired Areas of Concern, fight invasive species, and prevent beach closings. I will continue to work across the aisle to ensure funding for protecting the Great Lakes.

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“Asian carp have been caught less than 10 miles from Lake Michigan. This is an urgent issue for our state and the visit to Brandon Road helps us further understand what needs to be done to stop this threat to the Great Lakes. Working together we can save thousands of jobs in boating, fishing and tourism, and protect the Great Lakes for future generations.”

This past month has been tremendous for the Great Lakes. There were developments on three different fronts: funding for constructing a new lock at the Soo Locks, funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and a new plan to prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan through the waterways near Chicago.

On May 21st, I voted for legislation in the House Appropriations Committee that fulfilled President Donald Trump’s request for $75.3 million dollars to start building a new lock at the Soo Locks.

"This is the first time in decades that construction of a new lock has been funded in legislation. This funding is the next step in building the lock, which helps shipping on the Great Lakes and creates jobs. I know the Army Corps is already looking for people to work on this project and I will continue to fight for this funding as it moves forward in Congress.”

“This is the first time in decades that construction of a new lock has been funded in legislation," said Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, who sits on the committee and voted in favor of the bill. "This funding is the next step in building the lock, which helps shipping on the Great Lakes and creates jobs.”

“I have been working together with my colleagues from Michigan and we have built a strong bipartisan coalition of support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative including Republicans, Democrats and President Trump. That is reflected in this new legislation which has full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative."

“Construction of a new lock at the Soo Locks is funded in legislation for the first time in decades. This will create jobs and help shipping on the Great Lakes. I worked hard on the Appropriations Committee to make sure Soo Locks funding was included in the legislation and will continue to advocate for it as it moves forward."

"I enjoyed meeting with President Trump today. I spoke with him about the Great Lakes and their importance to our state. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will do everything I can to make sure the committee follows through on this new commitment from President Trump to fully fund the GLRI and help protect the Great Lakes for future generations."

“This is incredible news for Michigan. The Soo Locks are vital to shipping on the Great Lakes and the American economy. Since Congressman Bergman, Congressman Mitchell and myself talked to President Trump about the Soo Locks last April, there has been more progress on building a new Lock than there has been in decades. This new funding will create jobs and benefit our entire state.”

“Last year, we made incredible progress in funding the Army Corps, and having it include Soo Locks construction in its work plan. I successfully worked across the aisle on the Appropriations Committee to fund vital priorities including fighting the opioid crisis, expanding rural broadband access, and fully-funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. I look forward to continuing this important work for Michigan in the months ahead as Congress debates federal funding for 2020.”

“The Soo Locks are a vital infrastructure priority for our state and in the past year we have made more progress than others have in the past decade and a half. The funding included in the Army Corps work plan last year is protected and cannot be diverted to a new project. Through my work on the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for additional funding in the years ahead because a new lock at the Soo will benefit Michigan’s economy and support jobs.”